Sen. Robert Hilkemann

District 4

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I hope you and your loved ones are staying well. While we have all experienced effects of the novel coronavirus global pandemic, I know that it has hit harder for some families than others. My office has been busy assisting individuals with access to resources and hurdles to having unemployment assistance claims approved. Our community has truly come together to ensure that families have access to food and basic necessities, but we are far from out of this storm.

As you may have heard, the Legislature is scheduled to resume on Monday, July 20th. We will be facing an entirely different set of circumstances than what we optimistically had ahead of us when we began the session in January. Then, we were looking at a healthy rainy day fund and positive revenue forecast. There was hope of delivering additional property tax relief and investing in opportunities to grow our state’s economy. When we return two months from now, we will have the first economic forecasting board report following the first months of the pandemic. We are bracing ourselves for a harsh reality.

My colleagues and I will work together to prioritize the needs of Nebraskans as we always do. I invite you to reach out to me or to my office and share with me how the pandemic has affected you, your family, your business, or your job. What specific challenges have you faced? Have you found access to the resources you need? Hearing from my constituents has always been a factor in every vote I cast and it always will.

The rainy day is upon us, but we will get through it. I am grateful for all of the public health experts that we have in Nebraska and am thankful for their guidance from the very beginning. We are fortunate to know that when it comes to biodefense research and health security, we are in good hands with our very own University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Below, you will find helpful links to information and resources that are still available. As directed health measures are lifted, I encourage you to continue to be your own best advocate for and protector of your health and that of all those around you. We don’t need the government to require simple measures we can all take to stay safer for a little longer. We can do this, together.

Lincoln, NE –State Senator Robert Hilkemann has introduced LB 825 to add spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to the list of screened diseases for newborns. Hilkemann stated, “I am proud to once again carry legislation that aims to protect the lives of all babies born in Nebraska, and to have Children’s Hospital & Medical Center as a partner in this effort.”

SMA is the number one genetic cause of death for infants. It robs people of physical strength by affecting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, taking away the ability to walk, eat, or breathe. The disease is caused by a mutation in the survival motor neuron gene 1. Without enough of the SMN protein, nerve cells cannot function properly and eventually die, leading to debilitating and often fatal muscle weakness (SMA State Fact Sheet – NE, 2019). The United States Department of Health and Human Services added SMA to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel in July 2018.

“This legislation would put Nebraska on the forefront of the important effort to save the lives of babies born with SMA. One in every 50 people is a genetic carrier of SMA – a disease that historically doesn’t get diagnosed until a child is showing serious symptoms. Adding SMA to the newborn screening panel in Nebraska creates an opportunity to change the course of the disease and lead to earlier treatment intervention,” said Kenneth Hobby, President, Cure SMA. “We thank Sen. Hilkemann for his leadership, and urge the Nebraska legislature to quickly approve this bill during the 2020 legislative session.”

Nebraska law requires all babies to be tested for 32 core conditions. In 2018, this resulted in identifying and treating 50 newborns in time to prevent or reduce problems associated with identified conditions (2018 Annual Report Newborn Bloodspot Screening, 2018).

“It is very important that the legislative body of the State of Nebraska support LB 825 to add SMA to the Nebraska Newborn Screening Panel. The Nebraska Newborn Screening Advisory Committee has recommended adding SMA to our panel so we can identify children as soon as possible so they can receive lifesaving treatment,” said Robert Rauner, member, Newborn Screening Advisory Committee. “Support of this bill will make this lifesaving treatment available to the newly screened babies that are identified via SMA newborn screening.”

Senator Robert Hilkemann represents District 4, encompassing west Omaha, in the Nebraska Legislature. He was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. He serves on the Appropriations Committee and is the chairperson of both the Committee on Committees and the State-Tribal Relations Committee.
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Thank you for visiting my website. It is an honor to represent the people of the 4th legislative district in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.

You’ll find my contact information on the right side of this page, as well as a list of the bills I’ve introduced this session and the committees on which I serve. Please feel free to contact me and my staff about proposed legislation or any other issues you would like to address.